Best Physics Schools Near Harriman, TN (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Harriman, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs, with tuition ranging from $34,700 to $49,024 per year for indexed programs. Harriman has a population of about 6,021. Median household income is $42,183 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Knoxville, TN metro area, the top-earning physics-related role is Physicists at a median $165,010 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Physics Schools to Harriman

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer physics programs near Harriman, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Harriman city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Harriman. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 35.5 miles from Harriman
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 143

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 55.4 miles from Harriman
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,501
Avg net price $14,246/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, TN 61.2 miles from Harriman
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,382
Avg net price $20,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,700
Out‑of‑state$34,700
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 66.9 miles from Harriman
  • 4 year
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,723
Avg net price $24,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 73.9 miles from Harriman
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,151
Avg net price $14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

The University of the South

Sewanee, TN 91.4 miles from Harriman
  • 4 year
63.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,911
Avg net price $27,872/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 100.9 miles from Harriman
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 123.4 miles from Harriman
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,378
Avg net price $16,813/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Tennessee schools on the Tennessee physics page.

Physics Wages Near Harriman

Harriman is part of the Knoxville, TN metro area (BLS area code 28940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Physicists $165,010 Knoxville, TN $178,197
Biochemists and Biophysicists $149,140 Knoxville, TN $161,058
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $99,090 Knoxville, TN $107,009
Mathematicians N/A TN statewide –
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $96,190 TN statewide $103,877
Engineers, All Other $99,650 Knoxville, TN $107,613
Software Developers $121,750 Knoxville, TN $131,479
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $63,130 Knoxville, TN $68,175

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Harriman at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 6,021 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $42,183 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Harriman-Area Cities With Physics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited physics schools are near Harriman, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering physics programs near Harriman. The closest is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville in Knoxville, TN (35.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southern Adventist University (66.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying physics roles near Harriman?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying physics-related roles near Harriman are: Physicists ($165,010), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($149,140), Software Developers ($121,750). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Oak Ridge instead of Harriman?

Oak Ridge, TN is 15.1 miles from Harriman and has its own set of local physics programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Harriman an affordable place to study physics?

Harriman’s median household income of $42,183 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Harriman while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Physics Programs

Other Programs Available in Harriman

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Harriman:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Physics Schools in Tennessee: Online Programs (2026)